2019.05.26

GT500: No. 36 au TOM’S LC500 pole to win! LC500s dominate the podium

Round 3 Suzuka Circuit : Race GT500

The SUZUKA GT 300km RACE, Round 3 of the 2019 AUTOBACS SUPER GT series, was held at the Suzuka Circuit (one lap 5.807m × 52 laps) in Mie Prefecture on May 26. In the GT500 class, No. 36 au TOM’S LC500 (Kazuki Nakajima/Yuhi Sekiguchi) held the top spot from the pole position to take its first win of the season. In the GT300 class, the No. 96 K-tunes RC F GT3 (Morio Nitta/Sena Sakakuchi) continued its winning streak at Suzuka from last year, giving it its second win of the season.

 

 

 

 

 

opener at Okayama and then again in Round 2 at Fuji. But in Round 3 held at Suzuka, there was no need to worry about that. Suzuka City was blessed with fine weather from the morning, but the race was very hot as temperatures approached 30℃.
At 2:30 in the afternoon, six police motorcycles and three patrol cars of the Mie Prefectural Police led one parade lap. Next, the cars entered the formation lap, then the start of the 52-lap race.

 

 

There was no major trouble at the start and two cars, No. 36 au TOM’S LC500 (Kazuki Nakajima) and No. 37 KeePer TOM’S LC500 (Ryo Hirakawa) led the race. In close pursuit behind them were No. 8 ARTA NSX-GT (Takuya Izawa) and No. 12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R (James Rossiter). Then No. 6 WAKO’S 4CR LC500 (Kenta Yamashita) in fifth position picked up the pace, passing the No. 12 car and No. 8 car in succession to join the front runners, so that LC500s occupied the top three spots in the early stages of the race.

 

Then on lap 17 at a point when the race would soon be one-third over, No. 23 MOTUL AUTECH GT-R (Ronnie Quintarelli) running in 11th position had trouble with his right front tire, going off the track at 130R curve. His car hit the tire barrier but fortunately the driver was unhurt. As a result of the crash, the Safety Car came out at 3:11.

 

The Safety Car run continued for four laps, with the race restarting on lap 22. This timing coincided with the routine pit work on each of their machines, so drivers headed for the pits in rapid succession. On the following 23rd lap, the No. 36 car running in first place and No. 6 in third place went into the pit. This put No. 37 in the top spot, which went into the pit at the end of the 24th lap. But it seemed to take a little time to complete the pit work for No. 37 KeePer TOM’S LC500 (Nick Cassidy), so it relinquished the top spot to No. 36 au TOM’S LC500 (Yuhi Sekiguchi) and No. 6 WAKO’S 4CR LC500 (Kazuya Oshima), who had already finished their pit work.

 

 

Once all the routine pit work had been completed on each of the cars, No. 36 au TOM’S LC500 (Yuhi Sekiguchi) had returned to the top spot. Close behind him in second and third places were the No. 6 and No. 37 cars. Right after changing tires, Sekiguchi in No. 36 controlled his pace in order to cut down on tire wear, but this allowed the two cars behind him to come right on his tail, then No. 36 gradually increased his pace, leaving the two LC500s to battle furiously for second place. Second place changed hands again and again. On lap 48 with five remaining, the No. 37 car used the GT300 class car to its fullest to pull ahead, taking decisive possession of second place as the No. 6 car’s pace fell.

 

In the second half of the race, No. 17 KEIHIN NSX-GT (Koudai Tsukakoshi) in seventh place stopped by the side of the course. Running in fifth place No. 16 MOTUL MUGEN NSX-GT (Daisuke Nakajima) suffered tire trouble and No.1 RAYBRIG NSX-GT (Jenson Button), who took over fifth, came into contact with another car and damaged a tire, bringing both into the pit. Bad luck continued for the NSX-GT cars. With only two laps remaining, the highest place GT-R, No. 12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R (Daiki Sasaki) in fifth place, suddenly began to slow down and stopped at the end of the main straight.

 

 

As opposed to that, the No. 36 car in top position showed no hint of trouble in its running as it made its way to the goal. No. 36 au TOM’S LC500（Kazuki Nakajima/Yuhi Sekiguchi）put up a pole-to-win finish, its first win since the 5th race at Fuji last year and the first one this season.
In second place was No.37 KeePer TOM'S LC500 (Ryo Hirakawa/Nick Cassidy), followed by　No. 6 WAKO'S 4CR LC500 (Kazuya Oshima/Kenta Yamashita), LC500s dominating the podium. The podium hasn’t been dominated like that since Round 7 at Autopolis in 2018. LC500s dealt with engine issues in the season opener that caused concern not for only fans but also participants, but with the win at Round 2 at Fuji and now putting six cars in the top seven spots showed its strength here in Round 3 at Suzuka.

Fourth place was taken by No. 8 ARTA NSX-GT (Tomoki Nojiri/Takuya Izawa), the highest position for a Honda NSX-GT. As for the NISSAN GT-R NISMO GT500 teams, eighth place for the No. 24 REALIZE CORPORATION ADVAN GT-R (Mitsunori Takaboshi/Jann Mardenborough) was the highest position they achieved.
In the driver rankings, tenacious and deliberate driving by No. 38 ZENT CERUMO LC500 (Yuji Tachikawa/Hiroaki Ishiura) piled on more points with sixth place to put them at the top of the rankings.

 

 

 

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